


Partners in Crime

by glymr, iesika



Series: Kings Among Runaways [11]
Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Jason and Tim are both juvenile delinquents, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-10-02
Updated: 2009-10-02
Packaged: 2017-12-10 18:35:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/788936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glymr/pseuds/glymr, https://archiveofourown.org/users/iesika/pseuds/iesika
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a pattern developing, and IA is starting to lean on Gordon's people hard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Partners in Crime

He gets the heads up from Gordon, which is embarrassing enough. Someone's been robbing the bangers and dealers blind, and it wouldn't be a problem if it weren't happening concurrent with their arrests. There's a pattern developing, and IA is starting to lean on Gordon's people hard.

It goes like this: Batman takes down an enforcer or a mid-level supplier - never someone too high or low on the chain, always someone with lots of cash on hand - and some time between the initial collar and the obtaining of a search warrant, someone breaks into the mook's home and clears out his cash reserves. They never take the drugs, or the stolen property, even when it's something easy to fence. They're smart - they only hit homes when Batman is occupied across town. They're not relying on the police band - they know where he's working better than the police ever do. They're fast, because when Batman is first alerted to the situation, he doubles back immediately after several busts, but never catches them in the act.

He knows that Rosco Bennetti is going to be in Tricorner for a pickup at midnight, so Batman rigs his flat in Old Gotham with every trap he can manage in the time available. He makes a show out of bringing Bennetti down, flashy and public, and eight minutes after he leaves the man tied to a light pole the alarm on his belt is ringing.

He's not expecting to find a kid. When he cuts him out of the tangler that's pinning him to the windowsill, he gets an even bigger shock. He knows this kid - he's the boy who tried to lift the tires off the car a little more than a year ago, the one he let off with a warning. He's unconscious from the gas - he's a solid kid, but the dose was calibrated for an adult - and there's no telling how long it will be before he wakes, so Batman slings him over one shoulder and carries him down to the car as sirens approach from the distance.

When the boy does wake, he's tied to a chair, with Batman looming over him.

"Jason Todd," he growls.

"Oh shit," the kid says, groggily.

"You'd do best to watch your language. Now tell me who you work for."

Todd laughs, and then groans and drops his chin to his chest. "Oh god, what the hell did you do to me? I feel sick."

"Who do you work for?"

"Nobody, man. I'm a free agent. What the hell do you think? Who wants some kid working for him anyway?"

Batman leans over him, with one hand on either arm of the chair. “And the short-wave radio I found in your pocket?”

“A good luck charm! It was my dad’s! His old war buddy had the other one!”

Batman smiles as unpleasantly as he can, “your father was never in the military.”

“I’m telling you, man,” Todd says, a slight edge of panic creeping in under the bravado. “I work alone. No boss, no partner-“

Alfred clears his throat from the top of the stairs. He’s out of Todd’s line of sight, but Todd jerks in the chair at the noise. Batman looks up at him, and knows that’s enough of a question.

“There’s a young man here to see you sir.”

“I’m a bit _busy_.”

Alfred touches his bottom lip with the tip of his thumb, and Batman goes on high alert. “He’s here to see _you_ , sir. Not,” he glances in the boy’s direction, “the owner of the property.”

“Fuck,” Todd says, struggling against his bonds. “Fuck, no, look, you want me to talk, I’ll talk, you--“ But Batman is already at the top of the stairs.

There is a boy in the foyer, a little younger than Todd, and he recognizes this one too, from missing persons. The boy’s been missing since his parent’s bankruptcy and subsequent divorce. Batman catches him by the collar and drags him down into the cave. Todd resumes cursing when he sees them, so Batman drops the boy onto the floor in front of him, and watches his reaction.

Todd makes an abortive move forward, uselessly jerking against the restraints. He doesn't say anything, but his eyes dart up and down Drake's figure as he pulls himself to his feet, his concern for the younger boy obvious.

Drake looks remarkably calm for someone in his situation, but his voice is somewhat unsteady. “I left an envelope containing details of your identity in a mailbox at a location known only to me,” he says. “You let Jason and I walk out of here, and I’ll retrieve it. If I’m unable to retrieve it, it will reach a major television news program in this area in time for the evening broadcast tomorrow.”

Todd’s eyes are huge. “You know who he _is_? And you didn’t _tell_ me?”

“You would have been tempted to-“

“Damn right I would have! Do you know how much that info is _worth_?”

Drake looks right at Batman when he says, “Penguin is offering ten million dollars.”

“Oh my god,” Todd groans.

“Haven’t we been living comfortably for the last few months? We didn't need-"

"Oh, fuck you, we could have been _gone_."

Drake blinks and turns to Todd. "Why would we want to leave Gotham?"

Todd's laugh is bitter and rough from the gas, but it makes Bruce smile. "Alfred," he says as he releases Todd from his bonds, "I'm taking these boys for a ride. If you'd be so kind as to have breakfast waiting when we return? And…" he pauses, taking in the twin looks of shock, "make up two guestrooms while you're-"

"One," Todd interrupts.

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually the first story that was written in this series, as Glymr and I did it all out of order.


End file.
